Umbrella Academy is the best comic on the stands right now. It’s true. And you don’t even have to dig deep to behold its magnificence: UA: Dallas #2 has what might be the greatest opening page I’ve seen in eight years. From start to finish, this issue is exquisite. I said it dozens of times about the first Umbrella Academy, but if you’re even on this website reading about comics, you really should be picking up this title.
The overarching story of Dallas seems to be that the members of the Academy all hate each other and are being threatened by a secret evil. If that sounds vaguely similar to the first go-round, that’s because it is. But it’s the details of Gerard Way’s masterpiece that make it so phenomenal you’ll want to read it a second time immediately after you finish it. The Kraken, ever Way’s Batman pastiche, is a more on-the-nose humorous reference this issue; the Rumor going silent has ironically put her in the position of dark horse candidate (no pun intended) for breakout star of the mini; the goofy-headed villains are endless entertainment; and the scene with Number Five that inspired the cover of this issue… let’s just say it’s genius. I’ll admit I have no idea where things are going for the most part, but it doesn’t matter. I’m willing to let Way take me on his wild ride if it’s always this entertaining.
Gabriel Ba is no doubt a significant draw for most comic fans, and his art is predictably fantastic in issue #2. Dave Stewart’s coloring deserves some mention as well – whether it’s washed out, bleak, or colorfully twisted, each scene is colored perfectly. I feel bad sometimes because it’s not often that I really give a colorist credit for his true effect on a comic, but Stewart has alerted me to it here.
So yes. Umbrella Academy. Buy it. If you love Grant Morrison’s off-the-wall tendencies and high concepts, but are currently put off by the fact that Final Crisis and Batman don’t make sense, Umbrella Academy: Dallas is where you belong.
- Source: IGN.com